This core facility will assist each of the four Project Leaders in this Program Project application in their efforts to test, in relevant animal brain tumor model systems, the efficacies of gamma1 34.5- HSV-based therapies designed to achieve an improved anti-tumor effect. Immunologically competent mice will be used in syngeneic glioma models to test the capacity of vector-based cytokines to elicit an effective anti-tumor immune response(s). Both heterotopic and orthotopic transplanted tumors will be utilized to assess intratumoral or systemic delivery systems designed to target tumor cells preferentially while minimizing normal tissue involvement. Immunologically compromised mice (athymic nu/nu or scid) will serve as hosts for human glioma cells implanted into the flank for rapid screening and evaluation of therapy. Subsequent definitive studies will employ more patient-like models in which human glioma cells will be implanted in brain. This core facility will conduct animal experimentation associated with this Program, standardizing surgical and animal handling techniques and minimizing the chance for trivial interferences that could hamper comparative analyses. Tumor volume, tumor mass and survival statistics will be collected where appropriate. Normal and tumor tissues will be collected and submitted to each investigator or will be processed in this core for gene expression or histopathologic analyses. The Core will coordinate with the 8.5T Small Animal Imaging Facility for all imaging studies of tumor bearing mice involved in these preelinical evaluations. The Core will support Projects 1-Roizman and 2-Weichselbaum to conduct such studies at The University of Alabama at Birmingham if needed. We have arranged to use the Non-Human Primate 4.7T NMR facility at UAB to monitor Aotus naneymae who have been injected intracerebrally with clinical candidate HSV for preclinical safety testing. Finally, the Core will acquire and evaluate specific transgenic models for suitability for preclinical toxicity and efficacy analyses for the HSV-based therapies with or without irradiation as proposed by the individual Projects.